The Atlantic cycle route from Pornic to La Rochelle

Free time of arrival in Pornic, check-in at your accommodation during reception hours.

Pornic is a charming port with a flair from Brittany. The town center is spreading on the hills surrounding the moorage, where boats are lying protected from the winds. Take time to stroll around the old town.

You cycle from the Loire Atlantique region to the Vendee country. The Velodyssey route is going on the corniche and provides nice views on early 20th century houses on the sea front. You meander through residential neighborhoods and after Les Moutiers-en-Retz, cycle an open landscape named "Marais breton", literally Breton marshland. On one side, you will see the pastureland and on the other side, the shore dotted with fishing nets or osyter ports. You overnight in Bouin, a village in the middle of marshland which was formerly an island!

Cycle the polders to the "passage du Gois", a submersible road which connects the island of Noirmoutier to mainland. At low tide, you can cycle across the bay on this road and get directly to Barbâtre. If you arrive there at high tide, you need to ride a longer route on mainland to take the bridge more South. The route is then going all the way through marshland to the Northern part of the island, to the village of Noirmoutier-en-l’Ile.

Please refer to the day of your visit to know the times of low tide. You can cross from 1h30 before until 1h30 after low tide time.

Today’s route is along the West coast of Noirmoutier island, facing the ocean. You cycle through salt marshes to L’Epine and follow the route of the ancient mills along the beaches. Enjoy the view on the long beaches and pine forests before crossing the bridge. You ride afterwards into the forest of Pays de Monts. The cycle path goes up and down along the dunes and takes you peacefully to the sea resort of Saint-Jean-de-Monts

You leave Saint-Jean-de-Monts along the ocean. The sandy beaches give way to the rocky coast of the Vendée coastline. Admire the spectacle of the foam spouting on the rocks. You will then reach Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, the Mecca of sardine fishing. You continue to drive along the coast and then wind your way through marshes and forests in the Olonne region. You enter Les Sables with a nice panorama on the old district "La Chaume" before reaching the bay.

After having gone along the bay of sands, you drive along a rocky coast, punctuated with small creeks like the Bay of Cayola. Don't miss to make the detour to the beach of Veillon, located on a mouth between marsh and ocean. You can stop a little further on at the oyster port of La Guitière for an authentic oyster tasting! The route then leads you to Saint-Vincent-sur-Jard, where the last house of Georges Clémenceau is located. Finally, you cross the Longevillle forest before arriving at La Tranche-sur-Mer.

This longer but not very difficult stage leads you through the Bay of Aiguillon to Marans. There are many sights to discover along the way, such as the protected lagoon of the Belle Henriette, the Pointe de L'Aiguillon, the limestone plateau of the Ile de la Dive, or the Brault locks. Marans is a pleasant stop, with some pleasant terraces on the quays of the Sèvre niortaise. A canal then leads you almost to the Old Port of La Rochelle.

After breakfast, enjoy one last visit of La Rochelle and its harbor before returning home or extending your stay on your own.